Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“Among the issues we have considered are our concern for the poor and vulnerable, the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples, the painful scourge of human trafficking and narco-culture, the growing polarization that wounds public discourse and weakens social cohesion, and, in particular, the extreme vulnerability of migrants who live, travel through, and seek a future in our countries,” the bishops said in a joint statement at the conclusion of their February 15-17 gathering.

“We invite civil authorities to promote policies that safeguard the lives, rights, and dignity of migrants,” the bishops continued. “We recognize the responsibility of States to regulate migration and ensure the common good; however, we reiterate that all legislation must place at its center the inalienable dignity of the human person and the respect that person deserves.”

Born in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1984, Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta was named the Chaldean Catholic bishop of Toronto in 2015 and the bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego in 2017.

“You may be undocumented in the eyes of the state, but you were hand-crafted by the Creator of the universe,” Cardinal Cupich said. “Your worth does not come from a visa or a permit; it comes from the breath of God inside you.”

He added:

Today many of you live in fear of being marked and tracked, careful about names, identities, and lists. But today, you step forward freely to receive this mark, the sign of the cross. This mark is more permanent than any government identity or record. It is a seal that says you belong to Jesus Christ.

It is a reminder that you are citizens of a homeland that has no borders. It is a declaration that no matter what laws change, no matter what politicians say, and no matter what uncertainties you face, you are children of God.

“The current situation of kidnappings and violence is worsening, and those responsible are acting with impunity due to the government’s slow response,” Bishop Anselm Pendo Lawani of Ilorin said in an interview with Vatican News.

Bishop Lawani said that “there are several militant Islamic extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), which have acquired a significant presence in the predominantly Muslim north of the country.” In central Nigeria, “there are radicalized and armed members of the Fulani ethnic group who are causing chaos.”

In its annual message for the month of Ramadan, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue called on Muslims not to “yield to despair or to violence,” but instead strive to restore “peace to our broken world.”

“Asceticism is not a matter of self-willed choices and subjective particularities, but of submission to the rule and the ‘catholic experience’ of the Church,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches. “Repentance, prayer, humility, forgiveness, fasting, and philanthropic deeds are interconnected and interwoven.”

In an unusual but not unprecedented move, Pope Leo XIV transferred a diocesan bishop in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast, map) to another diocese and named him an auxiliary bishop there.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household announced on February 19 that Pope Leo XIV will make six pastoral visits within Italy between May and August.

Pope Leo XIV met with priests of the Diocese of Rome on February 19 and encouraged them to rekindle the fire of the Spirit within them.

In brief remarks addressed to Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Baldassare Reina alluded to “growing difficulties and a cultural climate that seems to want to put God aside.”